As the end of summer is quickly approaching, it may feel like the perfect time to get those last-minute vacation days in. And if you’re looking for a beautiful scenic road trip, then Oregon might just be the perfect spot for you. Today we’ll be providing recommendations for how to spend 7 blissful days traveling down the Oregon coast.
If you live in or near Oregon, then driving here is definitely the easiest way to begin your journey since you’ll need a car to do this road trip. If you do not, I recommend flying in and out of Portland. You could extend your trip by a couple of days if you want to explore Portland as well.
DAY 1: Astoria
I recommend starting your trip off in Astoria and working your way down the coast. Astoria is an amazing little town, with SO much to do, from hiking to historical landmarks. Astoria is less than 2 hours from Portland making it an easy trip from the main city.
When you arrive in Astoria, take your time to walk around and enjoy this little oasis. A few of my favorite things to do in and around the city include:
- Hike to the Astoria Column (this is a 3-mile hike (roundtrip) with 565 ft of elevation). Along the hike, take a detour to see the Cathedral tree, a 300+ year old Sitka spruce. This hike begins at the Irving Avenue Trailhead. Look for a tiny wooden sign that says “Cathedral Tree-Coxcomb Hill Trail” and park along the side of the road.
- If hiking feels too ambitious for you, you can also drive to the top of the hill where the Astoria Column is. The column features a series of depictions of Louise & Clark’s expedition across America and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. There’s nothing incredibly impressive about the column in my opinion but the views up there are breathtaking and well-worth the trip. Inside the column is a 164-step staircase that leads to an observation deck. This was closed when I was there in July due to the pandemic.
- Visit several filming locations from The Goonies. Probably the most famous pop culture draw to Astoria are the filming locations from The Goonies. This 1985 cult classic brought attention to Astoria with its picturesque perfect American town-vibe. Places you can visit include (just to name a few):
- Mikey Walsh’s House – 368 38th St.
- Data’s House – 344 38th St.
- Clatsop County Jail – Oregon Film Museum 732 Duane St.
- Mikey’s Dad’s Museum – Flavel House Museum 441 8th St.
- Bowling Alley where Chuck witnessed “the most amazing thing I ever saw” – Lower Columbia Bowl 826 Marine Dr.
- Take a ride on the Astoria Riverfront Trolley. This 3-mile streetcar line operates from noon-6pm and costs only $2 for hop-on/hop-off privileges! It’s currently not running due to the pandemic but hopefully it will start back up again soon.
- Look out for the Astoria-Megler Bridge – you can’t miss this staple of Astoria which connects Astoria, Oregon to Megler, Washington over the Columbia River.
If you have time, take a ride over to Fort Stevens State Park (about a 20-minute drive from Astoria). This beautiful state park features the famous Wreck of Peter Iredale. There are over 9 miles of paved biking trails and 6 miles of unpaved hiking trails, as well as a lake for swimming and kayaking.
From here you can either spend the night in Astoria or continue on down to Seaside.
DAY 2: Seaside & Cannon Beach
Seaside is a 30-minute drive from Astoria and is a quintessential beach community. With a paved boardwalk that runs the length of the beaches, Seaside is one of the best spots along the Oregon coast for a “beach day”. There are lots of community sand volleyball courts and eateries along the boardwalk making it easy to be active, relax, and then get some grub.
After you’ve enjoyed a late morning/early afternoon of quality beach time, get it the car and head down to Cannon Beach, arguably Oregon’s most famous beach. If you’re into hiking, check out some of the hikes in nearby Ecola State Park which offers sweeping views of the ocean. And don’t forget to look for Haystack Rock, home to seasonal puffins!
Take your time and spend the night in Cannon Beach.
DAY 3: Coast Day
If you liked Seaside and Cannon Beach, then prepare to be wowed as you drive from little coastal town to little coastal on day 3. It’s about a 3.5-hour drive from Cannon Beach to Florence, where I recommend spending your next night, so this day is really designed to be a slow one. Take your time to pull over and marvel at the beauty of the ocean or pop into that hole-in-the-wall diner you just passed.
A couple of my favorite spots along the coast include:
- Cape Meares Lighthouse & Scenic Viewpoint – This inactive lighthouse and scenic viewpoint provide a wonderful backdrop for photos. The viewpoint is situated on a headland over 200 feet above the ocean and provides an excellent view of the largest colony of nesting common murres. It is also one of the most populated areas of nesting sea birds on the continent!
- Cape Lookout State Park – This popular Oregon state park provides easy access to a beautiful beach as well as more than 8 miles of hiking trails through its lush forest.
- Roads End State Recreation Site – Another awesome state park option. Roads End offers a more secluded beach experience for those needing a bit of a break from tourism.
- Stop in Depoe Bay for whale watching – One of the most popular stops along the Oregon coast is Depoe Bay. Known for its almost year-round whale watching, this is a must-see spot on your tour. Bring some binoculars and find parking along Hwy 101. The town of Depoe Bay is small so you’ll be able to easily identify where to park but if you need a destination to put into Google maps, trying the Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center.
- Agate Beach State Recreation Site – Spanning almost 4 miles, this is one of Oregon’s longest and most popular sandy beaches. It’s a great stop if you just want to walk along the beach for a while or stop and take a couple of hours to lounge out at a beach.
- Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area – The Devil’s Punchbowl is one of those cool natural wonders that is definitely worth observing for a bit. Created when the roof collapsed over two sea lion caves, this spot is now a popular one for exploring tide pools and even whale watching.
- Seal Rock State Park – This is one of the best spots along the coast to see Sea Lions in their natural habitat (without having to pay for it).
- Smelt Sands State Park – This Oregon state park is known for its tidepools, rock fishing, and yearly smelt run (fish similar to salmon). It’s also home to the famous 804 trail (a nice 1.7 mile trail along the coast).
- Thor’s Well – Known as the Oregon Coast “sinkhole”, Thor’s Well is one of the most popular stops along the Oregon Coast. It’s not an actual sinkhole but it appears to swallow the ocean water around it which is why people (photographers especially) continue to marvel at it. To get down to the well, you’ll want to park at Cook’s Chasm and walk down the steps to down to the surface.
- Cape Perpetua Scenic Area – An alternative to seeing Thor’s Well close up, is to stop at the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area pullout and look down on it. There are many beautiful vantage points of the Oregon Coast from this stop as well.
Spend the night in Florence (Oregon’s coastal playground) which is one of the best coastal towns in Oregon. People flock to Florence for its myriad of adventurous activities. From sand dune adventures to horseback riding and beach combing, this city is an excellent place to spend a half day.
DAY 4: Dunes City
If you are into adventure, then you can’t miss the Oregon Sand Dunes. There are tons of companies in and around Florence where you can rent your own ATVs or Dune Buggies or hire a tour operator to take you out on the dunes. The Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area stretches 40 miles along the coast, providing expansive vistas of white sand as far as the eye can see. Typical dune adventures last about 1-2 hours and are best to do before noon when the sun starts to be at its highest point. If this is something you’re interested in, then you’ll want to block off the first part of your day to do this. (Worth every penny, in my opinion). We rented ATVs through Torex ATV and had a great experience riding on their private sand dunes. Make sure to make a reservation or you may not get the best riding time.
Once done with your morning adventure, take the time to check out a few other notable attractions in Florence:
- Sea Lion Caves – This sea lion sanctuary was discovered all the way back to the 1880s and has been a place of refuge for sea lions ever since, which has consequentially led to its increase in size. It’s now said to be the largest sea lion cave in the America. An elevator takes you 208 feet down into the ground where there is an observation deck that allows for sea lion viewing. Tickets cost $14/adult and $8/child. While this stop did feel a bit like a tourism trap, it is pretty remarkable to watch these sea lions in their natural habitat, an opportunity not likely to be had elsewhere along the coast.
- Hobbit Trail – This short trail will immediately put you at the center of your own fairy tale. This 1-mile hike leads you through the forest and out to a secluded beach.
- Heceta Head Lighthouse – Stop at the Heceta Head for another beautiful beach and quick .5 mile hike up to the lighthouse itself. Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most popular of the lighthouses along the coast and is the only to have a top-rated B&B attached to it!
After you finished in and around Florence, continue on down the coast, stopping at Coos Bay on your way down to your final destination: Bandon. (There is actually quite a bit to do in Coos Bay but the beaches are really wonderful in this town. Alternatively, you could also spend the night in Coos Bay but I preferred Bandon because it was a bit smaller and more quaint).
If you are somehow able to get to Bandon in the late afternoon, then I recommend checking out the cute downtown area. There are a number of little shops and eateries sprinkled throughout. We had dinner at The Wheelhouse and it was phenomenal so I highly recommend checking them out for lunch or dinner.
Spend the night in Bandon.
DAY 5: Redwood National Forest
You’re going to want to get up EARLY for this next day. It’s unreal how close you’ll be to the Redwoods by this point. To be honest, you could spend several days in the Redwoods and still not do everything, so I’m going to highlight just a few of the top drives and hikes to give you a nice variety as you try to do this National forest in a half day. The reason I recommend getting up early, is that the Redwoods tend to be very popular (especially right now during Covid) and parking can sometimes be difficult. If this is your first time to the Redwoods, then you’ll want to cover off on some of the most popular sites:
- The Big Tree – home to the famous “Big Tree” which stands over 21 feet in diameter!
- Trillium Falls – 1-mile hike to a waterfall (if you’re taking this hike in the mid-late summer months, don’t expect more than a trickle however)
- Stout Grove – Quick little ½ mile hike through some of the tallest redwoods in the forest.
- Howland Hill Road – 10-mile road through some of the tallest redwoods. You also need to take this road to reach Stout Grove.
Depending on how far down into the Redwoods you go, you’ll likely be somewhere between 3 and 5 hours away from Crater Lake National Park. You’ll probably want to start heading in that direction around 2 or 3. If you can get a room, I highly recommend staying at Crater Lake Lodge. Located right inside the park itself, this resort will give you amazing access to the park first thing in the morning. If that’s a bit too steep an alternative is to stay in White City which is an hour outside of the park.
DAY 6: Crater Lake National Park
There is SO much to do at Crater Lake that you’ll definitely want to spend the whole day here. I’ll be doing a separate post with my Crater Lake recommendations but the first thing you should do is head to the visitor center where you can pick up a park map and make a plan for the day. There is a 50-mile drivable loop surrounding the rim of the crater which is a great place to start. There are multiple scenic turnoffs for access to breathtaking vistas. There are also lots of hiking options. I recommend definitely doing the Cleetwood Cove hike which is the only hike that takes you down to the lake itself. This 1.1-mile hike is strenuous so embark at your own risk. It’s also possible to swim in the lake, so you may be inclined to wear a bathing suit for the trek.
Spend as much time savoring in the natural beauty of this national park before heading out to Bend, OR for the last day of your road trip. (For reference, Bend is about an hour and a half away from Crater Lake.)
DAY 7: Bend, Oregon
After several days of State and National Park hopping, Bend is your welcome back to civilization. Home to Deschutes Brewery, this city is a wonderfully relaxing and beautiful way to spend your final day in. I recommend actually sleeping in a little this time and heading out to old downtown to get a little breakfast/brunch. Walk along the river path in Drake Park and enjoy the outdoor patio at the Commons Café and Taproom. For other ways to spend the afternoon, I recommend shopping or beer tasting at Deschutes. If you’re heading back to Portland, you’ll have about a 3-hour drive, so keep that in mind as you plan your day.
That concludes my recommended 7-day itinerary down the Oregon Coast. You can obviously modify this based on your own interests. If you want a slower more relaxed vacation, then I recommend focusing on days 1-3 and just adding an extra day to each of those!
Have you been to the Oregon Coast? What are some of your can’t-miss recommendations?
For more travel tips, check out what’s in my road trip essentials kit.
